Hand pick for string instruments



Feb. 23 1926. 1,573,912

A. BURDWISE HAND PICK FOR STRING INSTRUMENTS Filed August 14 l925 A. EUEDMSE,

INVENTOR Patented F eb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES AARON IBURDWISE, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HAND PICK FOR STRING INSTBUIVIENTS.

Application filed August 14, 1925. Serial No. 50,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AARON BURDVVISE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Picks for String Instruments, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to hand picks for string instruments.

The invention can be the better understood when compared with other devices of the kind. Picks made entirely of relatively hard, stifi and springy material, such as has usually been employed for forming such picks, have the advantage of being unaffected by moisture or by being constantly or often flexed during their use in playing; but they have two disadvantages, viz.,, (1) their tendency to constantly shift their position between the fingers and thumb of the player, and (2) their inability to produce the softer tones.

Certain inventors have tried to overcome these (above mentioned) disadvantages by, (1) inserting a plate of relatively hard and stiff material between two plates of leather, and using only the leather as the picking point, the core or interior plate stiffening the middle part, but not stiffening the picking point; and (2) incorporating glue, shellac or a similar substance in the body of a pick or plectrum formed of felt or the like, thereby stiffening the previously flexible body. Both of these have proven unsatisfactory, one reason being that ordinary leather and ordinary unstifl'ened felt are too soft and not springy enough to meet the requirements, and another reason is that both materials, whether combined with an incorporated hardening material or not, become more and more flexible and less and less springy as they are repeatedly and continually swung or oscillated across the strings of the instrument being played thereby, so the playing becomes more and more diilicult and less and less audible. Another disadvantage of leather, in the relation above described, is that it soon rots from absorbing perspiration from the fingers of the player, and also becomes hard and brittle after having aged for several years, so a few oscillations thereof, across the strings, will cause its picking point to break adjacent to the stiffening core. Besides, leather becomes so smooth that it is difficult to hold in a definite playing position between the fingers and thumb.

Therefore: One object of this invention is to overcome the disadvantages pointed out with regard to other picks or plectruins, known and used hitherto; by providing an improved pick or plectrum, adapted for producing softened tones which will not be too soft or indistinct in consequence of insufficient stiffness and hardness at the picking point of the pick; such improved pick having gripping surfaces which are soft, nonsleek, and will not become sleek after years of continual use; and by providing a pick of this character having a picking point that will retain its stiffness and elasticity while alternately and often presenting both hard and soft substances to the strings being played on.

Other objects and important features are pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of my improved pick or plectrum grasped by a hand which is shown merely to illustrate one way of holding the pick while applying it to the strings of an instrument, parts of such strings being here shown at the picking point of the pick.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved pick or plectrum.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the pick. 4

Referring to these drawings in detail, and especially to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the improved pick is of laminated construction, being formed of three plates of the same size and shape, and the three plates of each pick having their mar inal edges flush, so the picks can be stamped or cut bodily from a sheet of such laminated material, so they can be made at a minimum cost of manufacture. The middle plate 5 may be of any appropriate relatively hard, stiff, springy material which will not be detrimentally affected by perspiration or by weather conditions, and which will not become less stiff and springy in consequence of long and continuous use in playing operations; for instance, it may be of tortoiseshell, bone, celluloid, hard rubber, vulcanite or any analogous material or composition.

The two outer plates 6, while here indicated as of the same material, may be of different materials of greater and less degrees of thembility and softness; for instance, both may be of felt or of some fabric similar to felt; or one may be of felt and the other of feltlike fabric; or one may be of a heavy felt or fabric, and the other of light felt or fabric; so that the softness of the tones may be varied according to the side which has the greater amount of contact With the instrument-strings. These outer plates present soft picking points to the instrument-strings, and these soft picking points are backed and stiffened by the inner plate 5. When the soft picking points Wear away sufficiently to eXpose the relatively hard plates picking point, so the tones are not soft as desired, the relatively hard point can be shortened by cutting, filing or sandpapering it to the proper length. On the other hand, if it is desired that the tones be loud and sharp (as for out-doors playing), the felt picking points can be cut away slightly to expose the hard picking point. After using a certain part of the picking point for a While, its hard middle part Will become exposed, so the tones Will become louder and sharper; then, by turning the pick or holding it at a different angle, only the felt parts may be made to touch the strings; so it is possible,

. practical and easy to vary the tones from softest to sharpest While continuing to play with one of these improved picks or plectrums.

The plates 5 and 6 may be secured to one another by glue, paste, shellac, rivets or any appropriate means.

A pick or plectrum, of the character described or of any appropriate material or combination of materials, may be provided With a finger-seat 7 of the character shown, that is, concaved so it can be shifted to different angles around the forefinger (as a pivot), and can be securely and fixedly held in each of its different shifted positions.

It is not intended to limit my patent protection to the exact form and materials here shown and described, for the invention is susceptible to modifications not here shown.

-What I claim as my invention is:

1. A pick or plectrum conqarising a plate of relatively hard and stiff and springy material, and two plates of relatively soft and pliable material en'ibracing the first said plate therebetween and secured thereto, all

these plates terminating in the extremity of Y the picking point of the pick or plectrum, so these plates have their edges flush at the extremity of said picking point.

2. A pick or plectrum comprising three plates of the same size and shape, except as to thickness, so their marginal edges are flush with one another at all points, two of these plates being relatively soft and pliable, the other plate being relatively hard and stiff and springy-and being between and secured to the relatively softplates, these plates being of a size and shape to form a picking point and gripping parts, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

AARON BURDWISE. 

